Avoid wedding emergencies with this checklist

Your big day brings a lot of joy and happiness to those present, but it can also cause a lot of stress. On the wedding morning, the bridal party will be running around with last minute arrangements, and it’s easy for things to be forgotten. To ease the unnecessary drama, run through this checklist and make sure everything is in order.

Be sure that the bride is dressed

There have been many cases where the groom lost his shoes, socks, or shirt. While this is a funny story for the men to share, it must never happen to the bride. Get your dress, veil, shoes, and accessories ready the night before, and make sure they’re on hand. Before you sleep, check and double check to be sure you have everything you need.

If you have a white dress with a full skirt or a long train, for example, the Kaitlyn by Rebecca Ingram, make sure the dress stays in a clean, dust-proof dress bag. You don’t want the delicate lace getting stained or torn before you’ve had a chance to wear it. Make sure your dress is dry-cleaned a week before the wedding and stored in pristine condition.

Get the bride fully dressed before doing her hair and make-up. If she gets dolled up before her dress is on, it might spoil her look. However, if she’s wearing a wide shoulder or strapless dress like the Kaitlyn, she can do her face and hair then slip on her dress feet-first. This has the advantage of not soiling the dress with make-up or hair products.

Make payments, but not all of them

Some wedding planners advise you to check with all your vendors and make sure they get their money. The worry is if they’re not paid, it will add unnecessary stress in trying to remember who to pay. But the other side of the argument is equally valid. After all, not all vendors are professionals, so if you pay them in advance, they might do a shoddy job.

This school of thought suggests that you pay half before the wedding and half after their work is complete. To avoid burdening the bride or groom with these last minute transactions, find a trusted member of the wedding crew and assign them to handle payments. They can also be the contact person for all vendors.

This person should call all vendors the night before the wedding and make sure everything is running smoothly, and that any last minute issues are dealt with. They should call the vendors again in the morning, for that final confirmation. (lakegenevaadventures.com) As you pay them, issue receipts and have each vendor sign that they have received their money, preferably with a witness. There should also be extra cash in hand, for any emergency expenses.

Put someone in charge of gifts

Many guests prefer to send their wedding presents ahead of time, and these may already be at the residence of the bride and groom. However, there will still be guests that will bring their gifts on the day. Set up a gift table and put someone reliable in charge of it.

At the table, there should be a guest register where they can write a note and leave their contacts. The couple will use this register to send thank-you cards. The gift table can also have a numbering system so that the couple know which gift came from who, especially for the packages that weren’t labelled by the sender.

Some guests like to give a little cash gift, and this is becoming increasingly common. It provides the couple with a nice start to their married life and can help offset wedding costs. Make sure there are envelopes available at the gift table so that guests can use them if they wish. Of course, these envelopes can also be used to tip servers at the wedding.

Have a heavy breakfast

Many brides forget to eat. They are so full of last-minute jitters and excitement that they worry they can’t keep anything down. They may also be concerned about unwanted bulges in their wedding dress. However, your wedding takes a significant toll both physically emotionally.

You’ll be dealing with intense feelings, all while standing around in heels, rushing from vows to photos to receptions, smiling at guests, and absorbing the importance of the moment. Weddings also contain inevitable delays so that it may be a while before your next meal, so make sure you eat when you can before all the madness begins.

If your high spirits prevent you from eating something solid, consider having a salad, a smoothie, or some yoghurt. Eat before you get made up so that your meal doesn’t stain your dress or ruin your make-up. You can also carry some finger snacks to nibble throughout the day, but be sure they’re not messy, and that you have breath mints to go with your snacks.